By A correspondent
A foreign national was arrested at the Victoria Falls International Airport as he tried to smuggle 9.2 kilogrammes of heroin worth an estimated US$500 000.
Police said they swooped on Shaik Zeenat Khatoon Rafiq (43) on 1 October when detectives from the crack CID Drugs and Narcotics in Victoria Falls were tipped off about the intended smuggling.
Sources said Khatoon intended to sell the heroin in India.
“The suspect, who intended to board an Ethiopian Airline to Addis Ababa en-route to India, was found with 9,2kgs of heroin stuffed in the lining of her traveling bag at the airport’s scanning point,” said the police in a statement.
The foreign national has since appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Godswill Mavenge facing charges of unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs in contravention and was remanded in custody to October 17.
On the same day, police arrested a cross-border transporter, Obvious Moyo (34) for unlawful possession of 50 units of 100ml Benylin cough syrup.
ough syrup is also abused by drug addicts.
“The cough syrup was found hidden underneath other luggage in a Toyota Hilux vehicle with foreign number plates. Investigations by the police revealed that the suspect is being used by drug peddlers to transport contraband from South Africa into the country,” said the police.
Zimbabwe is battling a drug addiction scourge affecting mostly the youth.
Recently, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda directed relevant ministries to come up with a joint ministerial statement on government interventions to the drug problem to be presented before legislators.
